BLU vs The Disabler
by Twiddlesticks
Summary: A mysterious new recruit arrives at the RED base, and promises to cause much trouble for the BLU team. Builder's League United, always up for a challenge, amasses all their resources to defeat the cunning new threat. But are they a match for the awesome power that is the Disabler? R&R, if you please.
1. Arrived by the Evening Train

**A little idea I decided to do... a sort of reversal of perspectives, if you will.**

It was a cool, gentle evening in Teufort. A breeze ruffled the scrub growing around the large fences enclosing the battlefield. The matches were over for the day, and it was late enough that the two bands of mercenaries were preparing for bed, or at least thinking about it.

The BLU spy had decided to take a short walk around their side of the map, to help with digestion. As the Soldier had cooked that night, he thought this would certainly be beneficial.

As he ambled leisurely across the battlefield, he heard an odd, throaty whistle. It sounded like the train that brought them to the base.

'How odd,' thought the BLU spy, changing his course and heading for a specific spot in the fence.

The train never ran except when transporting mercenaries to and fro. When he found the place he was looking for, the BLU spy carefully peeled back a damaged section of the fence and slipped through. He jogged towards the train station, crumpling his spent cigarette.

When he approached the nearby station, he cloaked and hid himself behind a post supporting the station's outdoor roof. The train had arrived. It sat, smoking, pistons silent, awaiting the disembarking of its passengers. A single person exited the train, carrying a suitcase.

It was a girl.

The BLU spy watched her stand on the platform, gaze about, and then give a heavy sigh. She was a young girl, perhaps in her early twenties or so, with a slim build and a head of glorious wavy brown hair. She had a certain spunky, cocky look about her, much like a Scout. She wore, contrary to the accepted fashion of most women at the time, a pair of jeans and a heavy but form-fitting jacket.

The BLU spy assumed this meant she was some kind of working-girl. He couldn't think what she was doing here, and for a moment he was rather afraid she'd caught the wrong train by mistake. But no… Team Fortress Industries was stringent about their security. They would never allow some random girl to board a mercenary train.

So what exactly was she doing here? The BLU spy pondered for a few moments, watching her peer both ways and then set off, away from the train. He followed her at a distance, keeping to the shadows.

Just as he had come to the conclusion that she must be in the same category as the lovely Miss Pauling, she approached the RED base, and he clearly heard her say:

"This looks like the place."

She strode purposefully towards the base, swinging her suitcase in a blithe manner. When she got to the door, she banged on it loudly.

"Hello? Can I get some service? New recruit here!"

A moment later, the door was opened by the RED Soldier and the RED Medic. There was a loud shout from the soldier, then a babble of hushed voices. The RED Sniper, who had wandered down as well, seemed to be defending the young girl. The RED Soldier seemed to be opposing her.

The BLU Spy watched in silent amazement as the argument came to a head, and the girl leisurely walked forwards, took the RED Soldier's hand to shake it, and then flipped the man over her shoulder. The Sniper laughed, and the Medic made a tut-tut sound. The girl said something about appearances not being what they seem, and then entered the base.

Astonished, the BLU spy mulled over what he'd just seen, then shook himself and high-tailed it back to his base. When he got to the mess-hall where his team had been, he found only the demoman and the soldier, who were locked in a fierce arm-wrestling competition.

"Gentlemen," said the BLU Spy, "Call the others. A meeting must be had."


	2. A Chick with Moxie

**In which the willing suspension of disbelief is challenged.**

"So… you're sure? Absolutely sure?" said the BLU Sniper, frowning.

"Of course I am sure, I was there. I saw her myself. The RED team has received a new member, a young female with considerable physical prowess, judging by her encounter with the RED Soldier." replied the BLU Spy.

"But why is there only one of her?" said the BLU Soldier, thumping his fist on the table, "Having an extra team member on the RED team will unbalance the battles! It is an outrage!"

"I don't know why," said the Spy, "but I intend to find out as much as I can about the new recruit."

"Lucky bastards." said the BLU scout, leaning back in his chair, "Woulda been neat havin' a girly on the team."

"How young was she again, Spy?" said the BLU engineer, adjusting his goggles and looking concerned, "This don't seem like the place for a sweet young thing."

"As I have said, she appears to be in her early twenties, but also quite strong. She was able to flip the RED soldier over her back, and I daresay the man is twice, or even three times her weight. That is no easy feat."

"Well then, we better get on with it, eh lads?" said the BLU Demoman. Although he was most often drunk, he was greatly interested in battle stratagems, and never passed up an opportunity to invent a new one. Working with bombs gave him an innate sense of the Where and the When, and he was raring to meet this new challenge.

"How much d'you reckon we know so far?" he said, peering intently at the spy through his good eye.

"Nothing I haven't already told you. She is slight in build, perhaps five foot six, in her early twenties and quite strong. She appears to have a similar disposition to Scout." the Frenchman nodded to the youngest of their number, who grinned.

"A chick with moxie, eh? Bet she never met the likes of me! C'mon guys, why're you all so worried? She'll be a piece of cake. You know how girlies are. There's always somethin'. So what if she's strong? She's tiny! We'll take care of her no problem." the scout stood then and excused himself, completely confident that his encounter with the new enemy would go smoothly.

"Well, I expect we'll just have to see for ourselves what the new kid's capable of." said the Sniper, standing and stretching. "I'm off to bed."

The rest of the team filed out, making similar statements. The Spy stared out the window, eyes lidded.

"Ya gonna go see if ya can dig up anything else, aren'tcha?" said the demoman, noting the Spy's expression.

"Hmm. Indeed. Bon soir, Scotsman."

The next morning the BLU team readied themselves for the coming match. The Demoman, Soldier and Scout were all keen to pester the spy about his fresh discoveries of the previous night.

"She is called 'The Disabler'." said the Spy, rubbing sleep out of his eyes and straightening his tie. "I was only able to overhear a few things… She is definitely much like you, Scout. The Engineer seemed to be interested in her main weapon… from what I ascertained, it sounded as if, apart from causing a nasty wound, it is able to disable Sentries for short periods of time via electricity overload."

The Engineer, upon hearing the words 'disable' and 'sentry' in the same sentence, hastened over and began questioning the Spy himself.

"Just be careful." said the Spy, finally, trying to keep the bite of annoyance out of his voice, "This is an unknown entity. Be on your guard, and you should be fine."

The countdown began and the BLU team tensed, awaiting the signal to go.

"Five… four… three… two… one… Get going!" the Announcer's voice echoed over the battlefield, and all hell broke loose.

The Scout was impatient. He wanted to get a look at this new girl for himself. He rushed across the bridge, took out an advancing pyro and leapt into the base. He encountered a Soldier and narrowly avoided his rockets. The RED Soldier ignored him once the BLU Pyro appeared to engage him however, so the Scout continued, mostly unscathed. He made his way through the base, searching, but she appeared to have left. The BLU pyro joined him in the base shortly, and waved towards the intelligence room. Shrugging, the Scout decided it would be a good idea to get to the intel early and at least scout the room.

He approached and peeked around the corner. As usual, even before he looked, the rhythmic beeping told him what to expect.

"It's a sentry as usual Py, go get the Demo or somethin'." said the Scout. The Pyro trotted off, sending a puff of flames onto the RED Scout as he went. The BLU Scout engaged his burning counterpart and was able to subdue him with a little trouble.

In no time, the Pyro had returned, safely escorting the Demoman, who dispatched the sentry with ease. The Engineer ran out of the room, guns blazing, only to be cut down by the giggling BLU Pyro.

The BLU Scout high-fived the Pyro, who then ran off with the Demoman to make sure the way was clear for the Scout. However, before the Scout could even begin to run into the Intel Room, the Announcer's cold voice rang throughout the base:

"The enemy has taken our intelligence!"

The Scout cursed, ran into the room, grabbed the intel and flew out the door. It would be a race against time, should the RED team's way be unimpeded. He made his way out of the base and was nearly to the bridge.

'Almost home-free!' he thought, straining himself to go faster.

PSHOW!

Pain unlike anything he'd even experienced before shot through his shoulder. The stab of agony caused his limbs to jerk uncontrollably as a shock of electricity passed throughout him. Staggering, nearly falling to his knees, he looked up to see the BLU Pyro and Demoman's bodies laying in the middle of the bridge. Beyond them was the girl, a bronze coloured gun in her hand pointed directly at him.

"I believe you've got something of mine." said the girl, smiling brightly.

"Yeah, well, it ain't yours anymore, sister." said the Scout, drawing his own gun. Faster than thought, she fired again. A second shock wave penetrated his body, bringing him to his knees. The girl flounced forwards, leisurely, and swapped her first weapon for a second. A long, crackling buzz-baton.

"Nighty-night!" she said, and that was the last thing the Scout heard.

When the BLU Scout respawned, the match was over.

"Bloody disaster!" the BLU Sniper spat, shaking his head. Another match was due to begin in fifteen minutes.

"What the hell happened?!" shouted the BLU Scout.

"The RED Team won, numb-nuts!" snarled the BLU Soldier. "I'm very disappointed in all of you. I expect you to give me one-hundred-and-ten-percent effort in the coming match!"

"Soldier, didja see the girl..?" asked the Scout, quickly, wondering if what had just happened had been an illusion.

"Yes." said the Soldier, frowning. "She took out Engie's guns with some kind of electric gun and I tried to blow her sky high… but she disappeared."

"Disappeared?"

"She's fast. Very fast. Might even give you a run for your money, lad." said the BLU Demoman, levelling his good eye at the Scout. The Scout scowled and smacked his bat into the palm of his hand.

"Well she ain't gettin' the drop on me THIS match." he murmured.

Unfortunately, she did indeed get the drop on him. Several times. On spotting her, the BLU Scout gave chase immediately, but try as he might, he couldn't seem to catch up with her. His fixation on capturing her lead him into a few traps, but he didn't care. He just wanted to be able to tap her on the shoulder, tip his cap, and then bash her brains out with his bat. Just once.

His team noticed his distraction.

"You can't just go following her around all day!" said the BLU Demoman, setting his bottle down next to his plate so he could focus on the Scout. It was dinner time, and the BLU team was taking a well-earned rest. "We need you capturing the intel, or defending whoever's captured it! Just give up on her, mate."

"No." said the Scout, darkly, "She's too fast. She's too good. It's like she's cheatin' or somethin'."

"I would have to agree." said the Spy, attacking his chicken with slightly more ferocity than it was usual for him, "I've checked the exact scores for the battles. She hasn't had a single death so far."

A chorus of loud "WHAT?!"s came from the table.

"Bloody hell!" said the Sniper, "That's bleedin' impossible!"

"So it seems." said the Spy, casually. He frowned at his plate. "Gentlemen, I will retire early. Goodnight."

The rest of the team bade the BLU Spy goodnight. He stood and went to his room. He wasn't planning on sleeping, however. Such startling news about the new recruit merited further investigation.


	3. Searching for Secrets

** In which a little espionage goes unexpectedly sour.**

Entering the RED base had been easy. Pondering the simplicity of the maneuver, the BLU Spy could only hope it wasn't this straightforward for his RED counterpart to invade the BLU base. It was early enough that the RED team would still be eating dinner, and probable that they wouldn't go to their rooms just yet as they would most likely be celebrating the day's flawless wins.

The BLU Spy made his way silently down the hall, treading carefully to avoid the squeaking of floorboards. He never understood the RED's fascination with rustic architecture. The BLU's hallways were carpeted in bleak linoleum tiles that were uninteresting to look at, but clean and efficient. Although, thought the BLU Spy, as he tread on a particularly vocal board, perhaps there was an advantage to squeaky wooden floors. They were an excellent warning system to the well-trained ear.

But a roar of laughter from below convinced him he wouldn't be apprehended. A quick peek into the dining room earlier had told him that the whole team was there, including the infamous Disabler.

He searched for the Disabler's room and found it a few moments later, at the end of the hall. He tried the door. It was unlocked. He slipped inside and closed it.

The room was a simple, standard-issue dorm-room. There were sparse signs of personal decoration here and there, the girl's suitcase leaning against the wall, a picture of the Disabler and a man sitting on the desk and a book about electronics.

The Spy made a thorough search of the room. The bed was empty of anything, the suitcase was empty as well, and the closet merely contained several duplicates of the Disabler's uniform; a red tank-top, maroon cargo shorts and thick red rubber gloves.

The Spy perused the book of electronics, but there was nothing special there. He took the picture out of the frame and looked at both articles. The picture had an unreadable signature on the back, as well as a heart. He checked the suitcase again, but there wasn't anything there. Frustration building, he flung the suitcase back into its place with more force than was necessary. It made a clunk, and a thump… as if something were inside of it.

The Spy snatched it up again and opened it. He felt all over the inside, caressing every inch, feeling for a slip, a catch… he found something. It appeared to be a small, electronic lock. He didn't hesitate. He withdrew a sapper from his coat pocket and attached one end of it to the suitcase. A moment later, a secret compartment sprang open to reveal a little book. The Spy withdrew the book and opened it.

The inside page read 'My Diary'. The Spy couldn't help but give a gleeful grin. The discovery of such personal items always gave him a thrill. He quickly replaced his sapper and withdrew a small camera from inside his pocket. It was supposed to be attached to the Camera-Beard, but he'd discovered that detaching it was useful as well. He flipped through the book, diligently photographing each page in turn. When he was satisfied, he returned the diary to its secret place, closed the compartment and the suitcase. He put the now-precious camera in a small pocket in his shoulder-holster. It was never a bad idea to be extra-careful.

Satisfied that he'd left everything in the right place, he made to leave. The floorboards creaked. He stiffened. Thank god for the RED's love of rustic architecture. Cloaking, he stood, rigid, against the wall of the Disabler's room. The Disabler herself entered, and he got a close-up look at her.

She really was quite pretty. Her hair was a warm, chestnut brown that seemed to shimmer in the dull light of the lamp. Her uniform suited her slim figure and her skin was practically flawless, and lightly freckled around the nose. The effect was ruined somewhat by her attitude and relaxed posture, giving her the air of a bored teenager. She picked up her book on electronics and turned to leave, her sheet of shiny brown hair swinging as she did. The Spy followed her, hoping to exit the same time she did. He made it past the door and smirked. He'd make a clean getaway.

It happened faster than he could have imagined. One moment he was setting his foot down to take a step towards the Disabler's back, the next, her amber eyes were staring directly into his own, her hand on his collar.

"I thought I smelled a rat." she hissed. With a grin, she pinned him to the wall.

"What am I gonna do with you?" she smirked, as the BLU Spy struggled. "I can't kill you, the respawn's off. Guess I better just teach you a lesson. She drew her stun-baton, and dealt him a crashing blow to the ribs. The BLU Spy choked as a shock of electricity momentarily robbed him of breath. The abundance of metal objects on his person did not help. His cloak flickered.

"Aw, so there's your pretty face!" said the Disabler with a cheery smile. She hit him again, in the other rib, and then removed his cloak watch. The BLU Spy leaned heavily against the wall, trying to struggle but finding his strength ebbing away. The Disabler took the liberty of removing all of his weapons. She grinned and waved his revolver around.

"Pew! Pew pew!" she said, mock-firing it. "Nice gun."

She took his disguise kit, his sapper and lastly his knife. She flipped it around a little, then, with a blindingly fast movement, pinned his hand to the wall with it.

The Spy let out a stifled cry of agony. Her eyes were cold, all of the sudden.

"If I catch you in my room again, buddy, I won't be so nice."

She dealt him another blow, this time to the knees, and then walked away, leaving him to slide helpless down the wall, suspended by his injured hand.

He lay there for a long time, seething with rage. The sounds of revelry from below did not cease. No one came to look for him. It seemed she hadn't told the REDs about his intrusion. Shaking, he reached up with a quivering free hand and wrenched the knife out by the handle. With a rough exclamation, he immediately dropped the blade and cradled his mutilated limb. The shock of electricity had worsened the stab wound. He was defenceless apart from his knife. He took his knife, staggered to his feet and limped down the hallway, leaning against the wall for support.

The trek back to the base was hell, but he made it back alive. His team received him with a cries of shock and horror, but he wouldn't answer any of their questions. He simply gestured wordlessly to the Medic, who whisked him away to the medical bay to be treated. While the calming beam of the medigun soothed his injuries, the Spy reached into his holster and felt for the camera.

He found it there, and tremulously withdrew it. He exhaled triumphantly.

It was intact.

**Reviews appreciated.**


	4. Dear Diary

**In which the microfilm is developed and the diary read.**

While the BLU team awaited the preparation of the Spy's microfilm, they put their all into the day's matches. The BLU Demoman was particularly excited. He implemented strategy after strategy; sticky traps, barrages, ambushes, camping and more… Yet, by her own skill, the skill of her teammates, or just pure luck, the Disabler avoided every one of his well thought out snares.

Though the Demoman was frustrated beyond belief, the BLU team had to agree that the Engineer was suffering the most from this brilliant new recruit. He could barely begin a sentry before having it 'overloaded' (as was the apparent terminology) and blown to bits by the Disabler's secondary weapon, a heavy pump-action shot gun. As if Spies and Demomen weren't enough to worry about already.

"She'll slip up soon, mate," said the BLU Demoman consolingly, as he approached the BLU Engineer's dispenser to heal himself. "and when she does, I'll be there, with a sticky- oh, speak of the devil!"

The Disabler had appeared, toting her bronze electric gun. The Demoman fired grenades at her, but she dodged them, returning fire. Her shots hit the Demoman in the chest, and then the dispenser, which sparked wildly and began malfunctioning. The Engineer leapt forwards and attempted to fix his ailing machine as the Demoman engaged the Disabler.

"Bloody hell, that smarts!" snarled the Demoman as he was hit again by the electric gun's fire. His heavy protective vest usually took the brunt of the attacks, but this time she'd aimed for the leg, paralyzing the limb so that the scotsman stumbled wildly to the side. He fired a few more grenades, but she dodged them again, only taking a little splash damage.

She was close now, and she switched to her shotgun, which she aimed directly at the Demoman's head. Unbalanced and unable to dodge, the Demoman was swiftly dispatched to the respawn system, and the Disabler turned her attentions to the panicking Engineer.

"Sorry cowboy, your time is up!"

The end of the day was, once again, a disaster for the BLU team. The disheveled mercenaries trooped back to their base and collapsed onto chairs and sofas, exhausted and discouraged.

"Well, at least we get a look at that microfilm." said the Sniper, heavily.

A little while later, the BLU team was seated around the dining room table, awaiting the arrival of the photographs. The Spy entered the room with a dossier in his hands. He took a seat, nodded to his teammates, and removed the photographs.

"Lemme see, lemme see!" said the Scout, excitedly.

"Hold on." said the Spy, dryly, "There aren't any pictures Scout, there's nothing fun to look at. It's just words. Diary entries, dating back to the day she arrived here."

He shuffled through the photos, selected two, and began to read.

"Dear Diary. It's afternoon and I'm on the train to Teufort (exclamation point). I'm real excited I can't wait to show everyone what I'm made of. I'll make dad real proud, he'll see. The trains going pretty fast and there's nothing to look at outside. I hope I get there soon I'm starting to get hungry. Wonder if there'll be anyone cute at the base (question mark). Nah, probably a buncha grizzly old kooks. Whatever. Write more when I get there."

The Spy chose another few photographs.

"Dear Diary, I'm at the RED base (exclamation point). I met all the guys I'll be fighting with. They're just as I predicted, mostly. The guy I first met was called Soldier. He's really loud, he keeps saying 'MAGGOTS' and he's a real asshole. He seems to think women belong in the kitchen and aren't as good as men. I taught him a little lesson though, Disabler style (exclamation point) Heheh (exclamation point).

He had an old doctor guy with him called Medic. He's okay I guess. He's best friends with this huge bear guy called Heavy.

Then there's this twitchy little guy called Scout. I thought I'd like him the most 'cuz he's closest to my age but he's mostly like Soldier, and he tried to hit on me. Ugh. I taught him a little lesson too.

Then there was a creepy old french dude called Spy. He kissed my hand. He looks like a creepo stalker and that's pretty much what he does, actually.

Then there was an old texan guy called Engineer. He reminds me of dad a bit. He wanted to see my electro-gun.

Then there was a guy who's all wrapped up in a red fire-proof suit. He's called pyro.. or is it a he (question mark). I donno. He's kinda creepy, but kinda cute too, like a little kid. He's got a balloon shaped like a unicorn in his room. Haha (exclamation point).

But I saved the best for last: When that stupid soldier guy was yelling at me outside, this tall guy with an australian accent came out and defended me. It was really nice of him. He's called Sniper and he's really nice to me. He's kind of a loaner and he lives in a van, so he's kind of shy around me cause I'm a girl and stuff, but it's kinda sweet. I think I like him best of all (exclamation point).

Anyway, better get some sleep, there's a fight right tomorrow when I wake up (exclamation point). Later (exclamation point)."

The Spy paused.

"Oh yeah, PS there was also a black guy who was drunk called Demoman or something."

The Spy picked out the final photograph.

"Dear Diary: The first day was awesome (exclamation point). I totally kicked ass. Those BLU guys are pretty lame, although I heard some of'em are real creeps. Sniper told me to watch out for the BLU Spy. If he's anything like our Spy, I think I get what he means. Anyway, party in the dining hall(exclamation point)."

The Spy stacked the photos and returned them to the dossier.

"Not particularly informative, but it raises a few questions I'd like to find the answers to." he finished.

"Whadya mean we're 'pretty lame'?!" shouted the Scout, furiously smacking his hands on the table.

"She's got a swelled head on her shoulders, that's for sure." said the Engineer.

"Not without reason though, as we've seen." commented the Medic, frowning and adjusting his spectacles.

"So, Spy. Do pictures give you any information about killing little girl?" said the Heavy, looking closely at the Spy, who appeared to be deep in thought.

"Perhaps." he said, softly. "Perhaps."


	5. A Dish Best Served Cold

**In which an untoward revenge is carried out.**

The BLU Spy had a plan. A dangerous plan, an irresponsible plan, but a plan all the same. The BLU Spy was an eloquent, charming man when it suited him, but beneath it all, like everyone else, he had pride to hurt, and quite a bit of it too.

His pride had taken quite a drubbing along with his ribs two days ago, and now revenge was consuming his mind.

He cloaked and withdrew his knife, Your Eternal Reward, which he held at the ready. He scouted around for a target and found one heading up a lonely staircase. He followed the Pyro up the stairs, caught up with it, and plunged the knife between its shoulder blades. The Pyro flailed, silently, then collapsed. The BLU Spy took its form and trotted away.

First, he searched for the RED Sniper, who he found standing in his usual spot on the battlements. The BLU Spy then went looking for the object of his revenge- The Disabler.

He found her sauntering away from the BLU Engineer's camp, or rather, what was left of it. Nothing but a corpse and a few shards of metal. With a heightened sense of righteousness, the BLU Spy quickly caught the Disabler's attention, waving urgently.

"Pyro!" she cried, jogging over, "What is it, Py?"

The Spy gestured frantically.

"You want me to follow you?"

The Spy nodded. The Disabler fell into step beside him, and soon he lead her through the battlefield, towards the battlements. He brought her to the enclosure situated just before the battlements, and then pointed in the opposite direction.

"What is it Py? I don't see-"

The Spy leapt at her. He knocked the weapon out of her hand and pinned her to the wall, grinning widely.

"Well, well, well. Not so tough now, are we?" said the BLU Spy, softly. He was aware of how clichéd this sounded, but decided it was appropriate for the situation. He removed his revolver from his pocket and pushed its muzzle against her temple.

"Help!" the Disabler shouted, struggling, "Help! Spy!"

"Quiet, girl, there's no use. There's no one to help you." said the Spy in a voice that was slightly louder than usual.

"OI!"

This single, challenging grunt was music to the Spy's ears.

The Spy turned his head, still pinning the Disabler to the wall, which was quite an effort to keep up.

"Go away bushman, I have a score to settle with this young lady." said the Spy.

"Yeah? I've got a score to settle with you." retorted the Australian, brandishing his kukri menacingly. "Come and fight me like a man, ya bloody coward!"

"Certainly." said the BLU Spy. He shoved the Disabler away and advanced towards the RED Sniper. The Sniper dove at him, and he dodged, dancing around his enemy and running out of sight.

"SPY!" roared the Sniper, tearing after him.

"I'll get him!" said the Disabler, clenching her fists and starting forwards.

"Stay back sheila, he's mine!" snarled the Sniper over his shoulder. The Disabler obeyed him. The Spy watched from his nearby hiding spot, cloaked. Everything was going perfectly.

The Sniper entered the Spy's area and swivelled on the spot, swinging his kukri.

"Come out ya mongrel! I know you're here! Or are you too much of a coward to face me like a man?!"

"Oh please." said the Spy, softly, catching the Sniper unawares and driving his blade into his back, "You're making a fool of yourself."

The Sniper died silently, as was the blade's special ability. The BLU Spy, with his new disguise, immediately began to shout.

"There you are! I've got you now!"

He made a commotion, keeping his eyes on the entrance to the enclosure, hoping the Disabler remained in the area beyond. He made a few more loud remarks in the Sniper's voice and then let out his own blood-curdling scream. Dusting off his hands, he walked calmly back towards the other enclosure. He found the Disabler there. Victory was nearly assured.

"Heheh, prancing show-pony. Always thinks he's one step ahead." said the 'Sniper', a victorious grin on his face.

"Thanks for saving me Sniper," said the Disabler, "I don't know what I would have done if you hadn't been there…"

The slight tenderness in her voice assuaged all the Spy's remaining doubts.

"Aw, no worries, sheila." said the 'Sniper', approaching. "I'd never let anything happen to ya."

He took the plunge and pulled the female into a hug. He heard her inhale sharply in surprise, but she made no move to break the embrace.

"Oh… Sniper…" she said, softly.

"I care a lot about you, kiddo." the 'Sniper' said softly, tightening the hug. "You're one of a kind. I'd never let the Spy get his slimy hands on ya. Not when ya mean so much to me…"

"I do..?" she said, her amber eyes growing wider as she looked up at him.

"Of course, sheila…" said the Spy, delivering his line with the most fervour he could muster. "I…"

Then, in a practiced sweeping motion, he pulled her into a kiss. He allowed it to last a few moments, then withdrew his knife. His disguise melted away with the usual whooshing sound.

"Peekaboo." he whispered.

Just as he heard the Disabler's sharp gasp of surprise and horror, the world suddenly winked out of existence. He keeled over backwards, dead as a post. The RED Sniper stood in the doorway, seething, smoking rifle held tightly in his white knuckled-hands.

The Disabler stared at him, mortified.

* * *

The BLU Spy respawned and let out a heavy breath through his nostrils. The unexpected return of the RED Sniper had been quite a disappointment- If he had been left for seconds more, he would have killed the girl and completed his revenge. However, perhaps this outcome was better. Now the girl would be terribly embarrassed. Being caught by the Sniper in the act of being seduced by his impostor… that was certainly a wonderful retribution.

The Spy was content. His pride was recovered. However, a little voice in the back of his head needled him.

'That was a very bad thing to have done. Young ladies are not to be treated that way, and you know it.'

The Spy was annoyed that his conscience should prick him about this. He assuaged it with the thought that, after all, this wasn't an innocent, harmless young civilian lady. This was a hired killer, and, more importantly, a hired killer who'd humiliated him -an experienced mercenary- within the first day of her employment.

'She deserved it.' he thought, folding his arms, 'She has to learn to be careful on this battlefield. A simple spy check might have saved her the entire ordeal.'

Still, he couldn't dislodge the lingering doubt about his conduct. He'd been blinded by his desire to seek revenge, and perhaps his behaviour had been a little… unprofessional.

He decided to forget about the matter for the present. There were more matches to contend with. He could feel guilty later.

But the feeling was quickly erased from his mind. Not because he simply did not care, no, he wasn't so jaded a man as that. He might very well have had to contend with guilt, if it were not for the Disabler's fury.

During the next five matches, she followed him relentlessly, ignoring every other enemy, slaughtering him in the most painful ways she could think of. She laughed, cruelly, every time her electric weapons subdued him. He became paranoid very fast. She was a swift enemy, capable of running circles around him, and, as if her rage loaned her strength, her physical prowess seemed to have tripled.

He died over and over at her hands, barely attaining a moment of peace between deaths by electrocution. Finally, by the end of the very last match, he was a nervous wreck.

He scuttled, cloaked, towards the RED base, ears pricked for any sign of her lightning footsteps. He made his way inside without much trouble and uncloaked, thinking he might actually get something done before she eventually found him again. Then he heard the tell-tale tep-tep-tep of her sneakers on the floor. He whirled around, withdrew his revolver and fired blindly in her direction.

By sheer luck, it seemed, his bullet met its mark perfectly in the middle of her forehead, between her eyes. She crashed to the ground, dead.

He stared, dumbfounded, at the dead body of the Disabler.

'Mon dieu.' he thought, 'I did it. I killed her.'

Then, hearing the footsteps of another potential enemy, he gathered his wits about him and cloaked, heading deeper into the RED base.

**Hoping you enjoyed reading this chapter more than I did writing it... and wondering if a review or two might be possible..? -TS**


	6. Missing in Action

** In which the Disabler is absent, and the BLU Spy makes a few startling and mysterious discoveries.**

The next day, the BLU team woke bright and early to begin training before the matches started. The BLU Demoman, who was still heading the initiative against the Disabler, had decided that they simply needed to train harder.

"We got so used to fighting the REDs in the same way over and over," he said, with a manic gleam in his eye, "that we got lazy and overconfident. It's no wonder that the lass surprised us. We forgot how to deal with a new threat! But today's gonna fix that!"

He slammed his fist into his palm.

"I want a hundred-and-ten percent from ya, mates! Just like Soldier always says! I want a one-hundred-and-ten percent job!"

The Soldier saluted firmly and marched off to begin his training. Some of the other members -Scout, Sniper, and Spy prominent among them- were less than enthusiastic about waking up so early for this new regime.

"This ain't gonna help us, Demo," said the BLU Sniper, shouldering his rifle, "we won't get any better at fighting this new class 'nless we get something to practice on. And we haven't got anything like her."

"Just stick to the training, Sniper. I promise ya, it'll do wonders." replied the Demoman, disregarding the Sniper's gripe and hefting his own weapon into his arms.

The BLU team practiced their aim, their dodging skills, their strategies and even performed body building exercises. By the end of the training session, they were all worn-out and disgruntled.

"Well, time for matches." sighed the Heavy, heavily.

The BLU team trooped out onto the field and prepared for the day's match. The BLU Demoman, ever zealous (and partly inebriated), marched up and down, swinging his grenade launcher and humming to himself, convinced the extra training would help them win the match.

To his delight, it seemed to have worked. The BLU team were doing much better than they had in days. Their kill-count was up, and they were actually able to capture the intelligence and successfully deliver it to their side of the field.

But something was decidedly off about the day's matches.

"You seen the Disabler today?" asked the BLU Scout, trotting over to the Engineer's dispenser to heal himself and replenish his ammunition. "I mean, I couldn't care less where she is, so long as she ain't ruinin' our chances of winnin' the match, but…"

"I haven't seen her all day." said the Engineer, in a slightly clipped tone. "Just the fact that you're usin' my dispenser means I ain't seen her."

"Wonder where she is…" said the Scout, frowning, "I mean… she oughtta be here. It's weird. I feel like the RED's're plannin' a big ambush or somethin'…"

But there was nothing of the sort. The Disabler remained absent from the day's matches, and, as much as the BLU team were happy that she hadn't impeded their progress, they couldn't help but wonder exactly what had happened to her.

"Maybe it was a trial run or somethin'." said the Demoman, who seemed to have lost some of his drive. He was looking a little perplexed, perhaps let down, but of course, it could also be the quantity of alcohol he'd just consumed. "Maybe she was some kind of event, like all the crazy stuff that happens on halloween… or maybe…"

"Quit worryin' about it, Demo," said the Scout, kicking his feet up on the able and leaning back in his chair, "She's gone! We don't have to deal with her ever again! We can get back to the way it was, just us beatin' up the REDs!"

"But you'll always remember these past three days, won't you?" said the Spy, slyly.

"What?" said the Scout, frowning, "Whadya mean?"

"Well, I doubt you've ever been beaten by a girl before. Or should I assume that, by your indifferent attitude towards recent events, you have?"

"Shutup!" shouted the Scout, scowling.

The Spy chuckled to himself and stood. The laughter faded from his face as he walked away from his teammates, and out into the darkened, silent battlefield. He frowned in contemplation as he walked leisurely to the edge of the waters beneath the bridge.

The girl couldn't be a simple trial run… it was too irregular. The teams were never unbalanced, no matter what the event, the sides always stayed even.

The Spy found himself crossing the bridge to the RED base almost absentmindedly. Yes, he was curious. This strange girl intrigued him immensely. No… not the girl, but the mystery surrounding her. Why was she here? Why was she so capable, yet so young? Why the RED team? What was her exact purpose? What was she doing, if she wasn't gone? Where was she?

Questions swarmed the BLU Spy's mind as he snuck into the RED base and began his search. He entered the dining hall and found most of the team. They were considerably less boisterous than they had been the last time he'd been there, and the BLU Spy couldn't help but feel a stab of satisfaction at this.

He noticed that the Medic and Heavy were absent, as well as the Disabler. He deduced that all three would be in the medbay, and he made his way down the stairs and into the infirmary.

He pushed open the door with careful fingers and slipped inside. Luckily, the REDs were looking in the opposite direction and did not notice the door's movement. The RED Medic was pacing back and forth, waving his hands.

"I can't understand it! There is nothing wrong with her respawn chip, and her equipment is all in order! There's no reason why the respawn should have… agh!"

The Heavy, who was sitting nearby, spoke up in his deep, rumbling voice.

"Maybe you should call Engineer? He can-"

"No." said the Medic, turning sharply to his huge comrade, "I was sworn to secrecy! The Administrator specifically ordered that I stay silent about her condition."

"But you told me." said the Heavy, raising an eyebrow.

"Yes, well… you aren't going to tell anyone, or try to tinker with her, are you?"

"No."

The Medic turned back to the hospital bed, which held the Disabler, spread out on her back in her underclothes. The medigun was trained on her, continually supplying her with a steady beam of health. She seemed to be asleep, but every once and a while, she jerked or twitched, slightly.

The Spy watched and listened, invisible, his mind reeling with the new information. The Heavy suddenly stood up.

"Is time to go now, doktor. We must eat."

"Ja… Ja, you are right." said the Medic with a sigh. He removed his glasses, polished them on his vest and then went to the door, accompanied by the Heavy. The Spy carefully waited until they were gone, and then approached the Disabler's bedside.

He peered at her, scrutinizing her face and body. There didn't seem to be any marks on her, the bullet wound he'd put into her forehead had been erased perfectly, just as the respawn should do… but wait.

Faint lines, tiny, nearly invisible scars. They traced up her limbs, scoring her skin. They were nearly invisible, but under the harsh light of the medical lamp, the BLU Spy could just see them.

The mystery was deepening even now. He decided it was time to leave.

He made his way out of the RED base almost without incident. There was a moment when he nearly bumped into the RED Scout, who had burst into the hallway in front of him. He just managed to avoid him, and for a moment, his cloak flickered. The Scout frowned, looking around, as if he'd heard or seen something. He took a swipe at the air where the BLU Spy had previously been. Then he shrugged and jogged away.

The BLU Spy tore back to his own base and burst into the dining room. The Demoman was there, asleep at the table, along with the Medic, who was looking bored and playing solitaire. He looked up.

"Was-?" he said, before the Spy cut him off.

"The girl is still there. There is something wrong with her. The respawn has addled her, somehow. The RED Medic said something about her equipment being in order but..?"

"Well, the respawn system uses a chip implanted in the body… I suppose that would be it?" said the Medic, slightly taken aback by the Spy's urgency.

"But he mentioned the chip too. This 'equipment' must be something else."

"He might have meant the Über implant… or it could have been a colourful euphemism?" said the Medic. "I've never seen the effects of respawn on a woman. Perhaps something in their chemistry causes the respawn to malfunction..?"

"You don't sound convinced, doctor."

"Well… really, there is NO reason that the respawn should have harmed her." said the Medic, uncomfortably.

"She is covered in scars," said the Spy, "All up and down her limbs. Do you know anything about scars like that?"

"No. They could be from any number of things."

"The RED Heavy mentioned asking the Engineer for help. The Medic said he was sworn to secrecy about… about whatever her condition is, and that he wouldn't risk the Engineer blabbing or 'tinkering' with her."

"I have no idea what that could mean…" said the Medic, crossing his arms and slouching in his chair. He seemed to be thinking hard. The Spy copied his movements, pondering the problem himself.

"This is all very mysterious." was all the Medic said, after a while.

"Indeed." sighed the Spy. He stood. "I think I shall do as the Americans do and 'sleep on it'."

And with that, the Spy went up to bed, leaving the Medic to continue his game.


	7. A New Directive

**In which both teams are given a new mission.**

The next day's matches were the same as the ones that preceded them. The Disabler did not make an appearance. Normality seemed to be settling comfortably back into the lives of the BLU team…

Of course, it was not to last. Instead of the usual concluding message at the end of the matches, a new order boomed over the speakers:

"All mercenaries report to the train station and board the train immediately."

The mercenaries did as they were told, gathered their possessions, and made for the train station. The BLUs boarded the BLU train car, all except for the BLU Spy, who loitered around the edge of the car, invisible, waiting for the REDs. He noticed the Heavy and the Soldier supporting a stretcher onto the RED car.

'So she is coming as well…' he mused.

He boarded the BLU car and, minutes later, the train set off.

"They usually tell us when we're changin' bases!" said the BLU scout, plopping down onto a seat and throwing up his hands, "What's goin' on?!"

"Well, since we're as well informed as you are, Scout, we don't know." said the Medic, testily.

"Maybe it is a surprise mission!" said the Soldier, smacking a fist into his palm, "Perhaps we will be tested on our ability to fight the unknown!"

"God, I hope not." said the Sniper, rubbing his eyes under his glasses, "I may have a plan to kill everyone I meet, but I can only come up with one so fast…" he gave a weary chuckle and then stretched himself out on his seat, pushing his hat over his eyes.

The BLU team spent their train ride sleeping, or playing games to pass the time. The Medic started up a card game with the Heavy, the Pyro, the Engineer and the Spy, while the Soldier, Demoman and Scout had an arm-wrestling contest. The Sniper continued to snooze.

By the time the train pulled into the station, the card game had since finished, and most of the team was asleep. Only the Scout and the Demoman remained awake to continue their arm-wrestling, while the Spy smoked away his cigarettes and contemplated what their journey could mean.

When the BLU team exited the train, they were directed, along with the RED team, into a cabin by a voice over the speakers. Inside, Ms. Pauling met them, customary clip-board in hand, face grim.

"There's a video from Mr. Hale for you all. It's imperative that you watch carefully." she instructed in her crisp, decisive voice.

Both of the teams gathered around a television where a video began to play. Saxton Hale cheerfully informed them that they were fired, that robots had invaded their factories, and that the mercenaries were to defend said factories from said robots. While doing so, he battled a ferocious beast, a large white gorilla-like creature. As this was a regular sort of thing for Saxton Hale, Australian Extraordinaire, the mercenaries didn't bat an eye.

The RED Sniper simply asked if they would be payed for their endeavours. They were informed that they would indeed be payed, as the robots ran on money, of all things.

With the meeting adjourned, the mercenaries trooped into the adjoining room to prepare themselves. However, just as they were about to continue back to the train that was to take them to the robot hoards, Ms. Pauling pulled the BLU team aside.

"There's a Mr. Messenger waiting for you, back inside." she said. The BLU team looked at each other, bewildered, and then returned to the room.

Ms. Pauling turned to follow the REDs. As she did, the BLU Spy caught her eye.

He gave her a look, the look he often gave her, which seemed to mean 'Just what IS going on here?' and she shook her head, as usual. The BLU Spy shrugged and followed his team back into the cabin.

Inside was one of the shady, trench-coat wearing men that brought news directly from the Administrator. He nodded, undid his trench-coat, and revealed the small television strapped to his chest.

The Administrator's cool, lidded eyes peered up at them from the screen.

"BLUs." she said, flatly, "I'm sure you are all terribly excited about fighting robots and becoming inconceivably rich."

"Hell yeah we are!" whooped the Scout.

"Thank you, Mr. Scout." she said, with a bite of annoyance in her voice, "But I must be the one disappoint you in that matter."

The Scout's face fell.

"Whadya mean?" he cried.

"We've sighted the bots, and discovered that they have a blue coloration." she held up a hand, to silence any out-cries that might come at this statement, "And it would be most unproductive if the RED team went around accidentally killing off their fellow mercenaries because of the colour of their uniforms."

"So?" said the Sniper, petulantly.

"So," she said, pointedly, "You shall be doing me a few favours while you are… temporarily out of action…"

The BLU team grumbled loudly at this, but were quickly silenced by the Administrator's cry of "SHUT UP."

"You may not be employed any longer, but you still work for me." she snarled, "And your first favour to me will be taking care of a little… matter. You may go now. Your train has arrived."

The BLUs stood, glaring mutinously in silence, before the Administrator made one last request.

"You, Spy. Stay here."

The rest of the team trooped away and the Spy stayed, crumpling his cigarette and languidly sitting back in his seat.

"Yes, ma'am?"

"While the REDs are battling the robots, your team will be looking after the Disabler." she said.

"What?!" cried the Spy, forgetting himself for a moment.

"I'll trust you to deliver that information to your team," she said in an icy voice, "As I know you do so love to watch over her. You can do a little more."

The Spy stared, in irate silence, at the screen.

"Keep her inside at all times. Do NOT allow her to escape or even exit the base. Until I give the word, you are not to let her out of your sight, do you understand, Spy?" there was a finality in her voice. A tone that suggested extreme retribution if the job was not completed correctly. The Spy understood this tone of voice.

"Yes ma'am." he muttered.

"Good. Now, off you go."

The Spy left the cabin and boarded the train. A few moments later, the RED Medic and RED Heavy entered the BLU train car, carrying the stretcher, which bore the Disabler, still unconscious. The BLU team gave cries of surprise at the intrusion, but the BLU Spy held up his hands.

"They are simply depositing our… little matter." he said.

The RED Medic and Heavy lifted the Disabler off the stretcher and laid her out on one of the seats. Then they nodded, curtly, and left.

"Hey!" said the BLU Scout, staring at the Disabler. "What's she- she's still- huh?!"

"I regret to inform you," said the Spy, heavily, as the train began to move, "That it is now our duty to watch over the Disabler for the duration of the robot attacks."


	8. The Wait Begins

In which the BLU team arrives at the new building and gets settled in.

The train ride passed in silence. The BLU team was much moodier than they had been on the previous trip. Several team members kept shooting the unconscious Disabler dirty looks and scowling. The Spy simply sat in his chair, thinking. He'd been doing a lot of thinking, lately. He, like the rest of his team, wanted things to return to normal. But now there was a robot war, and it seemed like the BLUs weren't allowed to participate.

Perhaps it was the recent defeats at the hands of the Disabler, or perhaps it was his prolonged work for Team Fortress Industries addling his brains, but the Spy wanted to fight robots. He wanted to cut them down, sap their strength, laugh in their ugly metal faces for ever believing that they could replace human beings…

He gave a great sigh. He needed to sleep. He pulled off his jacket and folded it up to use as a pillow. The last thing he knew, before the oblivion of sleep took him, was the shaking of the train, and a great feeling of uneasiness.

* * *

When the BLU Spy awoke, the train was pulling up to a lonely station in the middle of nowhere.

He could spot, through the window, a big dark building which could only be their new residence. The rest of the BLU team were already moodily exiting the train. The Heavy and the Soldier stayed behind.

"Spy, do we carry out the girl?" asked the Heavy, thumbing to the still-unconscious Disabler.

"Yes," replied the Spy. "Take her inside. We'll have to find a room to shut her up in… The Administrator has asked us to prevent her escape at all costs…"

The Heavy nodded and then, with the Soldier's help, transported the Disabler off the train. The Spy followed them, lighting a cigarette and sticking his hands in his pockets.

When they entered the building, it seemed to be very similar to a regular base, except there were no training warehouses or weapon stores. Just dingy concrete rooms.

"Depressin'." mumbled the Sniper, as he looked around.

The Spy immediately set off to find a suitable room for the Disabler. He found a room on the second floor with a sturdy door and a small barred window. Perfect.

"Bring her up here." he called down the stairs. The Heavy and the Soldier dutifully carried the Disabler's stretcher up the stairs and deposited it on the small cot sitting in the corner.

"We should fit some sort of a meal slot onto the door." murmured the Spy, watching the Disabler twitch in her sleep, "She will need feeding, but I don't trust her with exiting this room…"

The engineer was quickly put to the task. The door was bolted from the outside and a small rectangular slot cut into it near the bottom. The slot was fitted with a small metal flap, made from the Engineer's scrap metal. When this was all done, the team set to making supper. The building was stocked with food, and the team was soon well fed and watered.

Even in the late hours of the evening, the Disabler's room was still silent. The mercenaries slowly went off to claim rooms of their own. By midnight, the base was silent.

* * *

The next morning, the mercenaries were awoken by a cacophony of bangs and shouts. They rushed, still in their nightclothes, to the source of the sounds. As expected, it was the Disabler's room.

"LEMME OUTTA HERE! CAN ANYONE HEAR ME?! I WANT OUT! LET ME OUT, OR I'LL FORCE MY WAY OUT!"

This exclamation was followed by several loud bangs.

"Allow me, gentlemen," said the Spy, pulling the cloth belt tighter around his ratty bathrobe in a down-to-business kind of way.

"Mlle. Disabler." he said.

She didn't seem to hear him over her own shouting. He tried again, louder.

"Mlle. Disabler."

Still no response except incoherent shouting and banging.

"Mlle. Disabler!" he called, very loudly this time.

This worked about as well as the first two times.

The Spy sighed and massaged his temples. He turned to the Heavy.

"Please make some sort of loud sound, if you will, to quieten her?" the Spy said, wearily.

The Heavy sucked in a deep breath and then roared: "QUIET!"

There was silence.

The Spy gave the Heavy a sort of congratulatory pat on the arm and then approached the door.

"Mlle. Disabler." he began, for a fourth time.

"Spook! Is that you?" came the answer from the other side of the door. "Whad'ya mean by locking me up in this room?! What's going on?!"

"I am not your spy," said the Spy. "I am the BLU Spy. The Administrator has tasked me–"

"The BLU SPY?!" the Disabler shrieked from the other side of the wall, "YOU FREAK! YOU FRIKIN' CREEP! When I get a hold of you, I swear, I swear I'll– I'll–"

"I'm sure you'd snap my spine into thirteen pieces if you had the chance, mon amour," sighed the Spy, "But the Administrator has tasked me and my team with keeping you under lock and key for the duration of the robot attacks–"

"Robot attacks?"

"Yes. Apparently, a third Mann Brother has created a robot army to destroy Mann co for some reason… The RED team is currently fighting them, but–"

"WHAT?! The REDs are fighting the bots, but not ME?!" roared the Disabler, her exclamation punctuated by another bang.

"Yes. Our team had much the same reaction." said the Spy. "But now you understand why you are locked up. I'm afraid we can't let you out until we receive the order from the Administrator. I suggest you be a good little girl and make this time as pleasant as possible. You will be receiving breakfast soon. Good day."

The Spy walked away from the door and headed towards the stairs. The team looked at each other, then the door, then shrugged. In a groggy clump, they followed the Spy down, ignoring the threats and verbal abuse blaring from the Disabler's room, thinking of breakfast.


	9. The Escape

**In which the Disabler does as the chapter title says.**

The days passed slowly. Being highly trained, violent and excitable mercenaries, every hour spent not fighting was torture for the BLU team.

Some coped better than others. The Spy read dusty books left behind on dusty shelves and the Engineer tinkered away in the basement. The Sniper amused himself with a slingshot and the Medic played game after game of solitaire. The Heavy polished his gun and sighed a lot, and the Demo got drunker and more depressed each day.

The Scout seemed to be having the worst time of it. He ran laps around the building constantly, making wild leaps over furniture. While he wasn't on this crazy race-course, he sat moodily in an armchair, playing with his baseball and making no secret of his foul mood and boredom.

The Pyro attempted to cheer the Scout and Demoman up sometimes, but its attempts usually ended in a frantic trip to the sink or shower.

If the base had been completely silent, the silence would have often been punctuated by far-off booms from the supposed robot-war.

But the Disabler continued to make her displeasure known.

She made almost constant noise. When a team member came to her door with food, she snarled threats and insults at him, vowing revenge, promising she'd escape, or be rescued. The Spy noticed that her favourite delusion seemed to be that the Sniper would come to save her.

"He's gonna come for me!" she shouted, hoarsely through the door, when it was the Spy's turn to feed her, "He'll come in here and rescue me, just like he did on the battlefield!"

"Whatever you say, chérie." replied the Spy, rolling his eyes.

The Spy had been determined not to let the dullness of the place get to him. He wore his sharp suit every day and kept it in perfect condition, ironing and folding it every night himself. He practiced fencing when no one was around and cracked sarcastic jokes with his usual dry humour. He'd been given a couple of black eyes for putting a word out of place, but the Medic had always visited him later with ice.

"I think they appreciate it, Spy, even if they don't show it… er… so politely." said the Medic, one afternoon, handing the Spy a cold pack. The Spy raised his good eyebrow as he applied the ice to his face.

"Oh?"

"They have someone to be angry at. They have someone to be at odds with. I think they miss that the most. I believe you may be a factor in their continued sanity. I had expected some kind of mutiny or massacre to occur before now, but…"

The Medic trailed off, then shrugged. He left the Spy with his ice. The Spy felt rather flattered that he was able to help his comrades in such a way. He'd never considered them as close friends, not in the way he'd had friends in the outside world… but he knew that he liked them, well enough. They might be dense, uncouth and possibly lacking up-to-snuff personal hygiene, but you could count on them for a hand, and a laugh.

The Spy shook himself. He was getting sentimental. As he got up, he heard a pained cry and then a loud smash. At first, he assumed someone had gotten into a scuffle with someone else, and he thought nothing of it. This seemed to be the general opinion of the rest of the BLU team as well, as they didn't seem to be making a fuss.

But then there was running footsteps down the upstairs hall.

The speed was lightning, but the gait was not Scout's.

The Spy leapt into the hallway and tore towards the stairs. A foot came out of nowhere and crashed into his skull, sending him toppling backwards.

Eye smarting, head swimming, he staggered up to see the Disabler's maroon cargo shorts disappearing around a corner.

He swore badly in French, stumbled up, and gave chase. The rest of the team seemed to have realized something was wrong.

"What's goin' on?!" shouted the Sniper, meeting the Spy in the hall.

"She… got away!" panted the Spy over his shoulder as he shot past the Sniper.

"Wha-?"

"Check upstairs!" called the Spy, urgently. He ran to the door of the base and found that the Disabler had disappeared. He wondered if she'd hidden, or run off on foot, but then there was a sound of an engine starting.

Seconds later, a truck sped out of a garage at the back end of the base. The Spy had no doubts who the driver was. He made a split second decision to follow her. He ran to the garage and checked inside. No cars, but there was a dusty old motorcycle in one corner.

The Spy heaved it up and checked the engine. No fuel. He searched the garage frantically and found a can of fuel which he used to fill up the machine before mounting it and kicking it into gear.

It sputtered a little, but seemed to work.

The Spy sped out of the garage just as the Sniper and Soldier came around the corner, supporting the Engineer, who seemed to be injured.

"Spy! She got Truckie when he went to feed her, grabbed his hand through the slot and electrocuted him somehow, took his wrench–" the Spy didn't hear the rest of the Sniper's explanation over the thrum of the engine. He sped along, searching for a distant truck. He found it, bouncing along a trail heading north, and he followed it at a fast pace.

The chase was not particularly eventful, and it went on for some time. Only when the distant booms became louder and fire appeared on the horizon did the Spy realize where they were headed.

When the truck began to slow, the Spy could see they were on the outskirts of a war zone. Some kind of factory was in flames, smoke filled the air along with human and not-so-human screams.

The Spy hastily dismounted the motorcycle as he watched the Disabler get out of the truck and take off running.

"Stop!" he yelled after her, "Stop! Come back! You aren't allowed to be here!"

"Yeah, like I take orders from you!" shouted the Disabler sarcastically in return, looking over her shoulder at him with a gloating smile, "This is MY domaine, pal! This is where I'm gonna shine! You think you can keep me locked up while robots run around? Buddy, I was built for killing these tin-heads!"

She'd slowed and turned around now, to mock the Spy. She jogged backwards, just as cocky and sure of herself as she'd been in Teufort, blabbering away. Then, from behind her, a huge shadow emerged from behind the wreck of a small building. The Spy watched in horror as the giant mechanical being raised a large rocket launcher and prepared to fire.

There was no respawn for the BLUs, nor the disabler.

Hating himself, hating the Disabler, hating the Administrator herself, the BLU Spy took a running leap at the girl and pushed her down, covering her with his body. Agony exploded over his back, his ears rung deafeningly and the world went dark…


	10. The End of the Affair

**In which the truth is revealed, and this story is forgotten.**

"He's coming around."

"Good. See that you send him back as soon as he's healed. Then get down here right away. We have a mess to clean up."

"Alice..?" whispered the BLU Spy through dry lips. A purplish blur was floating in front of him, and a greyish blur was receding into the distance. The purplish blur turned to face him.

"Welcome back, Spy." said Ms. Pauling in her gentle, efficient way.

"Where… Am I still… is the girl..?" the Spy found it difficult to form sentences. He felt heavy and sluggish.

"Don't strain yourself. Just lie back." said Ms. Pauling, sternly. "You're still a member of Builder's League United. Your daring 'rescue-mission' made sure of that."

"But… the girl… who… what?" moaned the Spy, desperately seeking an answer, longing to know what the reason for all his recent suffering was.

"She's classified." said Ms. Pauling, in a clipped tone. But her voice softened as she continued, "She's being deleted as we speak. You'll be back in your base in no time, and you won't remember a thing about it."

"What?! No!" the Spy struggled, trying to move but finding his limbs seemed to be made of lead. Ms. Pauling shook her head.

"It's better this way, Spy. You know it is." she said, gently.

The BLU Spy stopped struggling. He lay back and let out a small sigh.

"Oui…" he said, softly, as his eyes became heavy, "Je suppose que oui…"

* * *

"You wanted to see me, Ma'am?"

"Yes. Sit down. As you may have guessed, I am not at all pleased with what has happened."

Two people stood inside Administrator's gloomy, screen-lit office. One was the Administrator, standing behind her desk, surveying the security screens. The other was short, pale man, twisting a pair of thick gloves between his hands.

After a silence, the man spoke up.

"I can't imagine what went wrong. She was working perfectly when I last saw her. I can't think why she'd malfunction like that…"

"What happened had nothing to do with Miss Danielle's alterations, Mr. Cincade." said the Administrator, testily. "This was not caused by your tampering, but your chosen subject."

Mr. Cincade paused, mouth open, thinking. The Administrator turned to look at him. He gulped.

"O-Of course! Oh! I shouldn't- I mean, I should have known! I never should have used a girl, Ma'am, that was a terrible mistake on my part. Of course! It all makes sense now! But I swear, ma'am, I won't make the mistake again; from now on, I'll only use men–"

"Shut up, Mr. Cincade." said the Administrator, coldly. "The reason your daughter 'malfunctioned' as you put it, was not because of her sex, but because of her age and level of experience."

Mr. Cincade stared, wide eyed, terrified.

"You trained her for a year, in solitude; modified her to the peak of physical health… But you never considered that the mind of a seventeen-year-old would be unsuitable for this kind of work. You never gave her any kind of mercenary experience. You never exposed her to an environment full of males. You simply assumed that, because you'd made her super-human, she'd be able to function flawlessly. Perform perfectly."

"I– It was an oversight– I never thought about a teenaged girl's min–"

"There would be no difference if she were male." said the Administrator, looking him straight in the eyes, "My secretary, Miss Pauling, is a female, yet she has more skill and a better mind than half my men put together. But the difference between her and Miss Danielle, Mr. Cincade, is that she is experienced, careful and sensible." The Administrator put extra emphasis on the last word, narrowing her eyes.

She sighed and turned away from him, back to her screens.

"This is, in part, my fault. I should have looked into the girl's preparation before hand. But these damn robots…"

For a moment, the Administrator seemed to sag a little, showing the toll the newest threat and its implications had taken on her. But then she snapped back to her usual threatening, business-like self, turning once again towards Mr. Cincade.

"We've seized your papers. They may come in handy. We're giving them to someone more competent than you, Mr. Cincade. Your daughter is currently having her mind wiped, and you will follow. After that, we will be returning you to your home, where we hope, Mr. Cincade," the Administrator silenced the man's attempted protests with a look, "that you will take time to raise your daughter properly."

Mr. Cincade stared, shaking his head, aghast at the information he'd received. Then he turned to leave, looking as though he might try something unadvisable. Unfortunately for him, Ms. Pauling was waiting in the doorway.

When Mr. Cincade had been successfully neutralized, the Administrator took a seat behind her desk and sighed.

"Ms. Pauling, please make sure everything goes smoothly. I have something… important to take care of should this war turn sour."

**Fin. **

**Thanks for reading! I hope this story has achieved the effect I was going for. A reversal of perspectives, if you will, an analyzation of sorts. Your reviews are encouraged, and any complaints you may have are fine as well. Thank you, once again! Till next time. -TS**


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